Switching mechanism for automotive vehicles



July 25, 1933. H. A. DOUGLAS 1,919,209

SWITCHING MECHNISM FOR AUTOMOTIVE EHICLES u Filed Jan. 25, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 25, 1933. H. A. DOUGLAS SWTCHING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Jan. 25, 1930 2 Sheets-SheeI 2 ycolumn and contiguous parts Patented July 25, 1933 l l" li ulll Q l?.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS, OF BRONSON', IvIlCIG-A SWITCHNG LECHANSM F01?, AUTDMTVE VEA:

Application led January 257 i539.

My invention relates to automotive vehicles and electrical circuits associated therewith. In carryingI` out my invention I assemble the switching mechanism controlling` the circuits of an automotive vehicle with the lower. end of the stationary st ering column and in a position to be free from access of foreign matter. provide a casing for the switching; mechanism, this casing being located upon the upper side of the steering column axis and the upper side of the switch operating shaft that passes through the steering column and steering shaft. This casing` is desirably inclusive of an arcuate contact carrying,- wall portion which is coaxial with the switch operating` shaft that carries the contact or contacts that are complementary to contacts upon this wall portion. rl`he switch operating shaft is hollow and encloses the shank of a push button whose head is above the hand operated steering' wheel. The steering button shanh may be metallic to form a part of the electromagnetic horn circuit. lt extends through the above switch casing` into cooperative relation with a horn circuit contact which said shank preferably engages when the button is depressed. rlhe switch operating shaft is turned to control the lighting circuits, the horn circuit being established with this shaft in any position.

rlhe invention will be more fully explainec in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a cross sectional View illustrating' the preferred forni of switching mechanism; Fig. 2 is a` sectional view on line 2 2 of l; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. l; F 4 is an end view; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. l; 6 is a sectional view on line 6 6 of F 5; Fig. 7 is al sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 3; Fig'. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken throughout the length of the steering;` column with a portion of a. brolren away for lach of space5 some parts being shown in elevationgFig. 9 is an end view taken in the region of the. hand operated steering` wheel; and F ig. l is a diagrammatic illustration of one circuit arrangement.

The switch operating mechanism illustrated is inclusive of a. rotatable inclined metallic switch actuating shaft l having a tubular metallic extension Q receiving the lower en d of the sha t l and which is clamped ich-is screwed upon the cla spina' nut v' tapeA d ongitudi ally split end portion of the sleeve i). where i.is sleeve surrounds said shaft., in@ U shaped clip 4 embraces the sleeve 2. it. clamping screw 5 passed through the sides of the clip and is scew threaded i ,to the side of the clip that is siote from the head of the screw7 wherebv .1e clip is upon the sleeve to be turned therew o The base of the ci' a. hey 6 wli l the sleeve 2 and shaf L ...re turned. An ins rating; Contact carrvingg block 7 is clamped between the sides of ci a l by the screw l rlhe posiion of is further assured by causing the screw to pass through the blocl: and also by fmming;` an arcuate face in the bottom of the blocr; which conforms in curvature to and receives the sleeve 2. rThis block ca yies a of spring barrels 8, 9 and l0 w are distributed along the sleeve 2 and shaft l in Vthe same plane and which are radial with respect to said sleeve and `@oiled springs ll disposed in said barrels and ci 'the cylindrical con- 'ons of ccntac 1:2, 13 and 14 of the mechanism. .Ihese springs press these conta ts radially outward and against the contact l 1G, l?, i8 and i9 or directly against the cuate casirgj wall 20 which carries the latter contacts. The contacts l5, 16, 1'?, 18 and i9 the contact 13 being arranged in a plane transverse to the axis of the sleeve 2 and shaft l. The contacts l anc 19 are provided wi'l'h continuatons 2l and 22 which are positioned to be cngageable by the contacts l-l and l2, respectively. The arcuate switcn. casing wall 2O is flXedly assembled with and between the switch casing walls 23 and 24. rlhe U shaped clip l is snugly received at its ends between inward bearing ably with this shaft by means of a the shaft l is turned.

all engageable by continuations 23', 24 of the casing walls 23, 24 in which sleeve 2 turns with shaft l. Such clip serves7 through the intermediation of the key 6 thereon, to hold the switch casing in assembly with the shaft l. Rotary and longitudinal movements of the casing is prevented by means of brackets 2G which assemble the switch casing and inclined steering column 25.

rThe switch operating shaft 1 passes through the interior of a hollow7 inclined steering shaft 2S. T his st -ering shaft carries a worm 29 which is in mesh with a wheel 30 that is in controlling relation with the front steering vehicle wheels, in the case of land vehicles or other steering mechanism in the case of other vehicles. The hollow steering shaft QS carries a hand operated steering wheel 31 at its upper end. rihe switch actuating shaft l passes throiigh the steering shaft 28 and beyond the upper end of the steering shaft and above the steering wheel 3l. A lever 32 is coupled with the shaft l, whereby this shaftn'iay be turned to adjust the lighting circuits of the automotive vehicle.

I employ a push button for controlling the horn circuit. This push button has its head 33 located above the hub of the lever 32. The shank 34 of the push button is a long grounded metallic rod which passes entirely through the shaft l. rhis push button shank has a flange or coliar 35 thereon. A coiled spring 3G surrounds the lower end of the push button shank and is bottomed upon the end wall of the tubular extension 2 of the shaft l. This spring normally7 or 35 against the lower end of the shaft l, whereby the push button is norn'iaily placed in its upper position. T1.l/hen the push button is depressed the rod 34, which extends through the tubular metallic extension Q, is brought into engagement, at its lower end. with a spring barrel Contact 37, whereby the horn circuit is closed. This spring barrel contact houses a coiled snringASS i .ch presses a contact 39 outwardly intoposAu on to be ena-raged by a connecting plug 40 when this plug is inserted within a block continuation 4l. of the spring barrel.

The circuits that are establishable are diagran'nnatically illustrated in Fig. 10 which illustrates the horn 42, the head lamps 413, the parking lamps 44, the tail lamp 46 and the grounded battery which is included in circuit with these instrumentalitics or exeluded from circuit therewith according to the adjustments of the manually operable switching members pertaining thereto. The circuit control is clearly illustrated and it is believed that a further description thereof will not be essential. The switching mechanism is located above the common axis of the inclined steering column and steering shaft, the arcuate wall 2O of the casing for the switchingr mechanism being coaxial with said column and shaft. Access of foreign matter to the switching mechanism is then effectively guarded against.

The hollow steering shaft 28 is illustrated as enclosing other controlling shafts which do not enter into the present invention, a description thereof being, therefore unnecessary.

Ghanges may be made without departing from the invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

l. In a switching mechanism, the combination with a casing; of a sleeve rotatable in the casing, said sleeve having a wall at one end thereof; a hollow shaft in said sleeve but terminating short of the walled end thereof, the shaft being fixed to the sleeve; a shank movable longitudinally in the shaft and extending through said end wall to engage a contact fixed with respect to the casing; a flange on the shank located between the end wall and the end of the hollow shaft adjacent said wall; and a spring between said wall and said Hange tending to retract the shank to separate the shank and the contact.

2. In a switching mechanism, the combination with a casing; of a sleeve rotatable in the casing, said sleeve having a wall at one end thereof; a hollow shaft in said sleeve but terminating short of the walled end thereof, the shaftbeing iixcd to the sleeve; a shank movable longitudinally in the shaft and extending through said end wall to engage a contact fixed with respect to the casing; a flange on the shank located between the end wall and the end of the hollow shaft adjacent said wall; a spring between said wall and said iange tending to retract the shank to separate the shank and the contact; and a contact carrier on said sleeve Within said casing and keyed to rotate with said sleeve.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

